Challengers of Soccer
by Cranihunt
Summary: A group of outcasts join together, in the hopes of becoming the best team in soccer. Against all odds, these misfits will find out there's more to being a team than just winning.
1. Chapter 1

Challengers of Soccer

_**Challengers of Soccer**_

_**Chapter One: To Form a Team**_

Shell the Koopa flicked off the T.V. He had just finished watching his favourite video on the 2007 Soccer World Championships for the umpteenth time. The Mario Heroes had defeated the Wario Garlics 3-2 in Sudden Death to capture the title. Every time Shell saw the excited look on Mario and his teammates' faces, he couldn't help but imagine himself standing on the world stage, hoisting the Striker Cup.

"Maybe someday." Shell sighed, and stood up off of his bed. He lived in a one bedroom apartment on the east side of Koopa Village. All his life, Shell had played soccer. He loved to just head out to the park and practice with his friends. However, he kept his dreams of entering the Striker Cup secret. He didn't want his friends to laugh at him.

Until today.

Today was the day. Shell had read a pamphlet on the village news board that the Fire Cup was opening up in a few weeks. Teams of five could sign up to compete, and the top two teams had a chance to compete in an international level. Shell was going to ask his friends to join him in forming a team.

_**He could see it now…The five of them would sign up and wow the audiences. With their combined talent, they would ace through the competition and instantly become famous.**_

He could see it now.

--

Are you kiddin' me?" Spin laughed.

Shell took a step back. All four of his Koopa friends were laughing at him.

"Well, don't you think we could do it? I mean, we're all great soccer players!" Shell protested. He had thought for sure that his soccer-mania friends would agree.

"Hey man, we're good, but not that good! We couldn't compete with some of these teams!" Koopfrey scoffed. The burly Koopa held up his hands in disbelief. "Were you serious about this?"

"Yeah I-"Shell started, blinking back tears. He was interrupted by another round of boisterous laughter from his friends.

"Well, I'm not going through with this. I don't want to be slaughtered." Koopel shrugged, and picked up the soccer ball he had been playing with.

"Sorry, but I'm out too." Spin said, and jogged over to Koopel. Koopfrey smiled sadly, and followed the other two.

"Well Kooplie? Are you with me?" Shell asked desperately. He knew he could count on Kooplie, his closest friend.

"You're out of your mind, man. C'mon, let's go play a scrimmage." Kooplie suggested, and walked over to his other friends.

Shell frowned. "Guys, I thought that you wanted a challenge. I thought that you wanted to test your skills. I thought…" He stopped. They weren't even listening. They were out on the field, playing soccer together.

"Fine, I'll find a new team. We'll be able to do it. Guys, you'll see." Shell smiled sadly, but clenched his fist together.

So his friends didn't want to be a part of his team. That was all right. He would find a group that wanted a challenge.

That wanted to compete.

--

The Fire Cup opened in two weeks. Registration was in one week. Seven days to find four teammates. A challenge, for sure. But Shell had a plan.

He posted flyers all around the village, and even in the nearby, but larger, Toad Town. Anyone who thought they had what it took could contact him, but no one replied.

After two days, Shell started to give up. There was no one who wanted to join his team.

--

"It's over. Maybe next year." Shell bit his lower lip, and stared sadly at his World Championship Posters, all over his walls. His dream…

Shell snapped out of his thoughts as the phone rang. The Koopa ran over, and picked it up delicately.

"H-Hello?" He asked shakily. A small voice was on the other end, and apparently was just as nervous as he was.

"Hello, I-I'm here for, for the soccer registration. I saw the pamphlet, and I'd like to think of myself as a decent soccer player. M-My name is Goomchard. I'm a Goomba, so I'm not very big, but I am determined, and dedicated."

Shell smiled, and almost laughed. This was great news!

"OK, that's great. My name is Shell, the Koopa. Where do you live?" Shell asked politely. He didn't want to offend Goomchard, and lose the only one interested in his team.

"Well, I live on the outskirts of Toad Town. I know that you live in Koopa Village, so it'd take me just a few minutes to get to where you live." Came the reply.

"Right, well, why don't you come to Koopa Village? We should meet each other in person. I'll be waiting by the front gate." Shell suggested.

"S-sounds good. I-I'll be there shortly!" Goomchard hung up, and Shell jumped in the air.

"Yeeaaah!" He laughed, punching the air with his fist. One down, three to go.

After about five minutes, Shell saw a tiny Goomba rushing along the path to Koopa Village. As the Goomba came closer, Shell could make out a pair of thick glasses resting on the Goomba's face.

"H-hello… I… Am Goomchard." Goomchard panted. He _**was **_pretty tiny, even for a Goomba.

"Hey there, I'm Shell." Shell smiled, extending a hand. "Welcome to the team! Before we assign positions or anything, we need to find three other members. Any ideas?"

"W-w-well I do know of this one guy up the r-road from here. He's a great dancer. I-I have seen his footwork; it's a-amazing!" Goomchard adjusted his glasses.

"Yeah… He could be a great soccer player if he has some nice footwork. Especially if we get in some practice!" Shell said excitedly. Goomchard smiled nervously.

"B-but what if he d-doesn't want to be on our team?" He quivered.

Shell shrugged, not paying attention. His mind was already awhirl with possibilities.

"OK Goomchard, let's go see this guy."

After a short time, Shell and Goomchard reached a little hut on the side of a lake. As Shell walked up the steps to the front door, he could hear music coming from the inside.

Goomchard ran up to Shell. "I-I-I don't think t-this is s-such a great idea. What if he gets mad?"

"Relax man. Ya never know." Shell reassured his tiny friend, and knocked on the door. The music stopped, and the door slowly creaked open.

A Shy Guy poked his head out of the door curiously, and saw the two.

"Can I help you?" He sniffed.

"Yeah, uh, my name's Shell, and this is Goomchard. We've learned that you're a pretty good dancer." Shell started.

"A bit of an understatement, no?" The Shy Guy scoffed, and stepped back into his home. He turned on a radio, and began tapping and sliding across the floor to the beat. The Shy Guy's legs worked faster and faster, dancing, hopping, and running about, until the music stopped.

"See?" The Shy Guy asked proudly.

"Yeah, that's great… Anyways, we've come to ask you something." Shell paused for a minute, and smiled at Goomchard. "We'd like to enter the Fire Cup, and we need a few teammates. With your fancy footwork, we thought for sure you'd be a great addition."

The Shy Guy's mask almost fell off of his face. "You must be kidding. Me? A Dancer? Play…Soccer? No, no, no! I couldn't! I-"

"With a bit of practice we'll be great. What do you have to lose?" Goomchard spoke up. Shell smiled, glad to know the Goomba was sticking with him.

The Shy Guy sat down on a couch, and rested his head in his hands. "Everyone said that I wasn't strong, or brave, because I wanted to dance more than play sports. Is that the kind of guy you want on your team?" He was practically shouting by the time he had finished.

Shell took a step forward. He placed an arm on the Shy Guy's shoulder. "I don't care what anyone else said about you. Everyone likes and is good at something different. Don't you want a chance to prove to those guys, to prove to them that you _**are **_strong and that you _**are **_brave?" Shell spoke slowly, to let the words sink in.

The Shy Guy sat up. "Yeah, I do! I want to show everyone what I can do! Yeah, thanks Shell! You too, Goomchard. I'm tired of hearing from everyone that I'm weak."

Shell shook the Shy Guy's hand, and Goomchard bobbed up and down excitedly.

"Welcome to the team, uh…"

"Guy. The name's Guy." Guy the Shy Guy smiled. He stood up, and followed Shell and Goomchard out the door.

--

"G'morning guys!" Shell rolled off of his bed. Goomchard and Guy groggily shook themselves out of their sleeping bags. They had all decided to stay in Shell's house for the night. It was a little crowded, but they managed.

"Four days left. And we need two more teammates." Shell spoke to himself as he stared out of the window.

"Why don't we walk around town, and see what we can do? It's better than thinking in here." Guy suggested. It was worth a shot.

The three friends left Shell's house, and walked down the dirt path. They passed by a few houses, but no one they asked was willing to join their team. After a good hour and a half of searching, Shell plunked himself down on a park bench.

"Well, that didn't work." He frowned.

"W-well what about Toad Town? There a-are more people there." Goomchard suggested. "I mean, if y-you want to…" He smiled sheepishly as the other two looked at him.

"No, that's a good idea. There's bound to be someone in Toad Town who wants to join us!" Shell jumped off of the bench. "C'mon guys!"

--

The small group walked under the archway leading into Toad Town. Unlike the peaceful and quiet Koopa Village, Toad Town had citizens bustling about, always heading somewhere. A train chugged along in the distance, and there were many different conversations surrounding the group as they walked through the town.

"Well, where do we head first?" Guy asked, and he and Goomchard turned to Shell, their undisputed leader.

Before Shell could speak, though, his stomach rumbled loudly. "Uh, maybe we should head over for something to eat." He asked, pointing to a nearby restaurant.

When the three of them had been seated, and they all were munching down on their respective meals, Shell spoke up, "OK, I say that we just head around town, maybe go door to door, and ask if any of them are interested in our group. That's the only thing I can think of." Shell swallowed some more eggs as he talked.

"I bet we'll find someone eventually. I mean, it's a huge city; of course there are going to be some soccer-lovers." Guy stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"Excuse me, but I couldn't help but overhear." A Toad with red and white spots poked his head out from behind a booth. Goomchard shrieked in surprise.

"Sorry 'bout that. I heard something about you needing a soccer player?" The Toad asked.

"Yeah, we're thinking about entering the Fire Cup. My name's Shell, this is Guy, and that's Goomchard. We need two more members." Shell told the wide-eyed Toad.

"Well, my name's Toaduel. I'd like to join, if I could. I play in a league here in Toad Town, and I _am_ pretty good." Toaduel opened his arms wide, waiting for an answer.

Shell smiled at Goomchard, and the Goomba nodded back. Guy wrapped his arms around the two. They had found a fourth teammate.

Shell, Goomchard, Guy, and Toaduel walked out of the dark restaurant.

"Hey guys, I've just got to head over to my work, and let them know what's going on. Want to come with me?" Toaduel asked.

The three agreed, and they all walked over to a mechanics workshop. Toaduel stepped inside, and walked through a back door. "Stay outside." Was what Toaduel had asked of them.

"Hey boss, I-" Toaduel was interrupted by his boss, a big Toad with a bushy mustache.

"Toaduel, you're late again! How many times is that? Five? Six?" The man roared. Toaduel seemed to shrink.

"Sorry but I-"

"No buts! You remember what I told you, right?"

Toaduel was almost in tears. "I-"

"Toaduel, YOU'RE FIRED! I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF YOU WALTZING IN, TEN MINUTES LATE, LIKE NO ONE'S BUSINESS! I'VE HAD IT!" The Toad roared.

"Fine, but I was going to quit anyways! I'm going to make it big as a soccer player!" Toaduel narrowed his eyes, and stormed out the door.

"Let's go guys." He shook his head. Shell could hear his boss laughing coarsely at the notion of Toaduel becoming a great soccer player.

"You didn't have to quit your job to-" Shell was cut off.

"But I want to. I live for soccer. We'll prove 'em wrong, right?" Toaduel was completely serious about this. Shell smiled, and nodded.

"Yeah. Yeah we will."

The four friends walked out of the mechanics shop, and into the crowded streets of Toad Town.

"So what do we do now?" Guy asked. Shell shrugged.

"Any ideas?" The Koopa asked his group. Toaduel shook his head, and Goomchard adjusted his glasses, thinking.

"W-well, we still have three days left, after t-today. I-If you don't mind m-me saying, maybe we should t-try to a-a-advertise some more." Goomchard spoke up in a small voice.

"Yeah, like posters and stuff. Good idea." Shell smiled.

The group headed over to the Toad Town General Store, and bought some paper, markers, and tape.

"So why don't we all make a few posters, and meet back here tomorrow at noon to post 'em?" Shell suggested. The others agreed, and with that, the group disbanded.

"_**This is going great! Pretty soon, we'll have a whole team. I just **_**know **_**that we're gonna do this. I can feel it!" **_Shell thought optimistically as he trudged home.

When the ambitious Koopa returned home, he found his Koopa friends waiting in his front yard.

"Hey guys, what's up?" Shell asked.

"Where've you been? We want to head down to the park." Kooplie said. The others all murmured their agreement and nodded.

"Sorry guys, I've got to make some advertisements. We already have four members to our team, and we're looking for one more player." Shell shrugged, and stepped into his home.

"Wait, you actually found someone who'll go along with you?" Spin asked in disbelief.

"Well, I've found three guys, and they're all really nice and dedicated." Shell felt proud of his team and his accomplishment.

"I can't believe you, Shell. How could you…you…_abandon___us like that? How could you go along with this stupid dream of yours?" Spin asked. He then turned around, and left.

"Wait guys, I-" But his other three friends were following Spin.

Shell slammed the front door. "If my friends won't understand my dream, then they're aren't great friends, are they?" He steamed.

The Koopa thought of Goomchard, Guy, and Toaduel, and how each of them had made a sacrifice for what they believed in.

"I guess this is mine, then. I guess this is mine."

The next morning, Shell met his team in Toad Town, at noon, just as planned. Shell had made four posters for advertisement and his friends had all made three.

"Good work guys." Shell grinned as he took a look at the posters.

"I forgot about the posters until this morning, so mine are a little bit rushed." Toaduel admitted.

"At least we all have ours." Guy grinned, and they set about putting the advertisements up on the News Board, and all over town.

Throughout the day, Shell started to get a better idea of his three new friends' diverse personalities.

Goomchard was quiet and shy, not really having much confidence in himself. However, what he didn't realize was that he had no reason to be so nervous all the time, and should believe in himself more.

Guy came across as uptight at times, almost snooty. However, if you got to know him better, like Shell was, you realized that Guy was really nice, and very clever.

Toaduel seemed a little impatient and irresponsible. He also seemed to be a little forgetful, but he had a good heart.

Shell was extremely happy throughout the day, as the small group got along and had a great time.

However, after two days, nothing happened. No one else had called. Shell was growing more and more worried by the minute. There was a day left until registration, and still no one had replied.

It wasn't until 6:30, on the second-last day, that someone called back. Shell and his friends were sitting around in his home, discussing game plans and strategies, when the phone rang.

"I'll get it!" Shell called out as he jumped over to the phone. This was it. The moment of truth.

"Hello?" He asked nervously.

"Hello! If you have ever had your windows washed, then you'll-" Shell hung up the phone in disgust, and disappointment. It had been an automated message.

Just as Shell was about to tell his friends what it was, the phone rang again. Shell hurriedly picked it up.

"Hello?"

"I saw the advertisement on the Toad Town News Board." Shell pumped his fist in the air, and his friends silently celebrated.

"Great, we still need a fifth member." Shell told the caller.

"Yeah, and I understand that the Fire Cup registration is tomorrow. You can meet me in the Toad Town back alleys tonight, at nine."

The phone clicked, and the line was dead.

Shell glanced over at his friends.

"Well?" Toaduel breathed impatiently.

"Nine O'clock tonight." Shell began, and told his friends what the caller had said.

The four friends headed over to Toad Town at 8:30. They didn't want to risk being late. Toaduel led the way into the back alleys, as he knew the town better than any of the others.

"OK, I think it should be about nine by now. Where is he?" Guy frowned.

"Or she. W-well-" Goomchard was cut off by a voice.

"Ah, so you have come." The voice came from the left. Shell squinted at the darkness, but he couldn't see anyone.

"Is all of this drama really necessary?" Shell asked, staring around at where the group was.

Goomchard whimpered softly.

"Yes, yes it is. You see, I like to make a grand entrance. I am willing to join your team. Are you willing to accept me?" The voice asked.

"For sure." Shell breathed.

The figure stepped out from the shadows. Shell, Goomchard, Guy, and Toaduel held their breath.

As a Mole appeared from the alley.

"My name is Marty…Marty the Mole." Marty stroked his chin.

"Welcome to the team." Shell stared at the mysterious creature.

"What is our team called, anyways?" Toaduel asked.

Shell thought for a second.

"Well, it should say something about us…" Shell thought.

"I-I think it s-should be about how we've all h-had to stay strong willed and d-d-dedicated." Goomchard stammered.

Then, the idea hit Shell.

"Guys, we are now… The Challengers."

--

_Hey guys, this is Cranihunt here. After every chapter of "Challengers of Soccer", I'll be writing a little summary of my thoughts and ideas here. Sorta like an author's note. Well, I guess this__** is**__ an author's note. Whatever. Anyways, this is a little side-story I'll be writing when I'm not in the dramatic mood to write Pokemon Topaz. It's pretty much based off of Mario Strikers and Mario Strikers: Charged._

_In this chapter we've met our five heroes, but we haven't learned a lot about any of them, especially Marty. Don't worry, while this story won't be as deep or dark as Topaz, it'll definitely have some story behind it. So yeah, that's about it for now. In Chapter Two, the gang will sign up for the Fire Cup, but things won't go as smoothly as planned. Do they ever…? See you all later!_

_-Cranihunt_

_P.S. I think I might start this for Pokemon Topaz too. It's kinda cool to relay my thoughts after writing a chapter. Look for this sort of thing in Chapter Four of Topaz!_


	2. Chapter 2

Challengers of Soccer

_**Challengers of Soccer**_

_**Chapter Two: Registration**_

_Briiiiiing! Briiiiiing! _Shell groggily got off of his bed, and switched off his alarm clock.

"Ugh…I'm tired." He yawned, and walked over to the other side of the room. There, he took a look at the wall, where a Super Mario Bros Calendar hung.

"I almost forgot! Today's the day!" Shell laughed happily as he read the date. Today was the registration for the Fire Cup; the first tournament Shell's team would be entering.

The happy Koopa danced around his room, and ran out of his house. He and his friends had decided to meet in Toad Town Square at 11:00, as registration started at 11:30. Shell wanted to get there on time, and he was also extremely excited, so he left Koopa Village at 10:30.

Shell half-skipped, half-ran down the little dirt path that led to the large Toad Town. Humming a happy tune to himself, Shell started to daydream about who his team's first opponent would be, and what strategies they would use.

_**After we register, we should have a practice, to go over some drills! Then we can assign positions!**_

Shell continued these thoughts as he reached the main gate to Toad Town. From there, he could see the town square, where a few Toads were standing.

"Excuse me, pardon me!" He called out as he ran through a large crowd, anxious to see who else was waiting. But to Shell's dismay, he was the only one from his team there.

"You've gotta be kidding me…" Shell sat down on a bench, starting to get nervous. The Koopa looked up at the town clock, realizing that it was five minutes to eleven.

"C'mon, you guys-" Shell started, but was interrupted by a voice.

"There you are Shell! Good morning."

Shell turned around to see Guy walking towards him.

"Hey, I was beginning to think no one would show up!" Shell called happily.

"Well, we still have five minutes." Guy sniffed. The Shy Guy sat down beside Shell, and the two talked for a bit. Eventually, Goomchard joined them.

When it was 11:15, and the team was still missing Toaduel and Marty, Shell spoke up.

"Guys, I don't know where the other two are, but maybe we should go sign up without them. Maybe if we tell the people there that we have two other members, they'll understand…" Shell thought aloud.

"I-I'm starting to get a-a-a little nervous, Shell. A-all this hard w-work for nothing?" Goomchard bobbed up and down.

Shell frowned, and motioned for the other two to follow him to the Fire Cup Registration Centre, just a short block away from the town square. The three friends stood outside the door for a few minutes, until they saw a Toad with pink spots open it up.

"Are you here for the registration?" She asked quickly.

"Yup." Shell replied, and the Toad allowed the three to enter. The Toad gave Shell some paperwork, telling the group to fill it out before heading over to the front desk.

"OK…let's see…" Shell started. At that moment, Guy spoke up.

"Guys, do you hear that coming from outside?" The Shy Guy poked his head out the door, to see Toaduel running towards the building.

"I…overslept…sorry gang…" The Toad panted heavily as he walked through the entrance.

"OK, good to know you didn't bail. Now we just need Marty." Shell smiled as he handed out the paperwork; each member needed to give a signature.

--

It was almost noon, and Marty still hadn't shown up. Shell and the others were beginning to get discouraged, as other teams had already come and gone. As the minutes ticked by, spots in the tournament were being filled up.

_**And we still need that last signature…**_ Shell thought to himself.

"Last position! One spot left for this year's Fire Cup!" The same Toad with the pink spots called out.

"Wait!" Shell yelled. He ran to the front desk.

"Please, I have a full team, but our last member isn't here. If you could just give us a bit more time…" The Koopa pleaded with her.

"Well I-"The Toad was cut off by a voice.

"Never fear, I have arrived!" Everyone in the building turned to the doorway, where Marty the Mole leaned. He flashed the desk Toad a grin, walked up casually to Goomchard, Guy, and Toaduel, and grabbed the paperwork.

"There we are…Done." The chubby Mole finished signing off his signature, and placed the registration sheets on the desk.

Shell couldn't believe it.

"Where have you been?! What ever happened to, '11:00 in the town square?'"

"Sorry man, I was busy. Didn't think I'd be so late. But don't sweat it," Here Marty winked to the desk Toad, "we got it all in on time."

"Yeah, but you're even later than I am!" Toaduel laughed. Shell smiled too, relieved. Who cared how it had happened. The Challengers were in the Fire Cup.

"Hold it! Hold it!" A voice called. Three Toads and two Bob-Ombs marched in through the doorway. They all were wearing uniforms that said, "Team Supreme".

Marty scoffed. "Nice team name. You're a little late, though."

The leader, a Toad with a bandana around his head, stepped forward. "There's no way Team Supreme is not entering the Fire Cup! We're the best team around."

The desk Toad shook her head. "I'm sorry, but The Challengers here just filled up the last position. Better luck next year."

The lead Toad's eyes bulged out of his head. Calling his teammates over, the group got into a little huddle.

"Listen…Yeah, yeah, I like the way you think." Shell heard coming from the huddle.

"OK, listen up. We'll play these Challenger fools. Winner takes the last spot." The Toad glared at Shell.

"That's ridiculous! We signed up first!" Guy protested, but Marty put his arm across him.

"No, no, we can take you. Consider it a warm-up, gang. What do you say, tomorrow at noon in the Toad Town Field?" Marty smiled cleverly, as if he had just struck an amazingly clever deal.

The other team nodded, and left, but not without a little trash talking first. When Team Supreme was gone, Marty spoke up.

"Who's up for a little brunch, eh? On Goomchard!" The Mole laughed heartily, and walked out the door.

Shell and the others ran after him.

"Are you crazy? Why would you agree to their challenge? Marty, you're acting like you're the leader of this team or something!" The Koopa stated furiously.

"Well, I don't see any C on your shirt, bub. C'monnn, lighten up. This should be a snap!" Marty chuckled.

"A-at least we should practice, t-today…" Goomchard stared at his feet as he spoke.

"Yeah. Let's go guys." Shell glared at Marty, as the Challengers started to walk away.

--

"Alright team, try to control the ball through these pylons." Shell called out to his four teammates. The group had decided to practice in Koopa Town, since there was a field close by perfect for soccer.

Shell blew his whistle, and Toaduel, the first in line, started the drill. The Toad made it about halfway through, before tripping over the ball. He started to laugh.

"Uh…good! Next, let's go Guy!" Shell called out.

Guy took one step before kicking the ball away from him. "Oh, sorry!" He called out.

"H-here…you go ahead of me, Marty." Goomchard walked to the back of the line. "T-this looks tough…"

Shell shook his head.

Marty wasn't much better. The Mole was huffing and puffing after going through only a few pylons.

"Eh, give me a break. I'm a goalie, after all." Marty shrugged. He headed over to his bag and pulled out a sandwich.

"Marty, no snacks during practice." Shell snatched the sandwich away from the Mole, to see Goomchard run up and completely miss the ball.

"I thought you guys were good at soccer…" Shell started.

"You'll see my goaltending skills tomorrow, mate.!" Marty laughed heartily as he patted Shell on the back, and pulled another sandwich out of his bag.

--

Shell tried to get some sleep that night, but couldn't. He was really nervous about the game the next day. Every drill the team had tried today, some problem had come up.

Goomchard was afraid of the ball.

Guy couldn't run.

Toaduel, while he claimed to be a soccer star in his league, didn't seem to really be trying.

And Marty. Marty just didn't seem to care.

"Uggggh…" Shell groaned as he rolled over, wondering what else could go wrong.

--

"Heh, I woke up on time today. But then…I forgot to bring my cleats! So I have to play in my bare feet today!" Toaduel laughed as Marty gave him a hearty grin.

"That's nothing. Try forgetting your-"

Shell couldn't take anymore of this conversation. He paced up and down his team's bench nervously. The Challengers were supposed to be warming up right now, but Goomchard was too nervous to move, Guy was getting himself "pumped up" listening to dance music, and Toaduel and Marty were having their conversation.

The Koopa looked down the field, to see Team Supreme running, stretching, and warming up their goalie.

"You know guys, now would be a great time to go for a jog." Shell smiled, but the ref, the desk toad with the pink spots, walked onto the field.

"Team Supreme and The Challengers. This game will be a thirty minute match. The winner will be granted the final position in the Fire Cup." The Toad spoke loudly for both sides to hear.

"Well guys, let's have a quick meeting." Shell suggested. Goomchard and Guy walked over to him. Toaduel quickly followed them, and Marty finished off his chocolate bar to join the team.

"OK. Let's just get out there and do our thing. I know we didn't get a lot of practice in yesterday, but if we make smart passes and take some shots, we can win this." Shell smiled, looking more confident than he was.

"Yeeaaaah! That's the spirit!" Marty thumped Shell on the back.

The Challengers took to the field. Marty jogged to his net, while Goomchard was on Defense. Toaduel, Shell, and Guy took to the front end, on left striker, center, and right striker, respectively.

Team Supreme jogged onto the field, chanting as they went.

The lead Toad lined up with Shell.

"Let's do this!" He snarled.

Since the Challengers were the ones to be challenged, they started off with the ball first.

"Here we go." Shell said to himself, and the game was on.

The Koopa kicked the ball back to Goomchard, who ran up and slipped on it. A Toad ran by, kicking the ball down the field.

"Not already!" Shell yelled out as the Toad ran in on Marty, all alone.

"C'mooon! Whaddya got?" The Mole taunted the Toad.

Marty ran out and slid at the Toad, who easily stepped around him and tapped the ball into the empty net.

_1 – 0 Team Supreme_

The ball was placed back in the middle of the field.

"OK, here Toaduel!" Shell called out as he passed the ball over to him. The Toad got the ball and spun around a Bob-Omb.

"I wasn't really tryin' yesterday!" Toaduel laughed out as he deked a Toad from the other team.

"Pass if over here!" Shell called out. He was wide-open, while Toaduel was being covered by two Toads.

"Nah, I got it!" Toaduel laughed as he tried to get around both Toads, but was easily stopped. One of the Toads passed the ball back up to the Bob-Omb, who came in on Goomchard.

"Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy! What do I do?" Goomchard cried. He tried to take the ball off of the Bob-Omb, but the opponent simply spun around the Goomba, keeping possession of the ball.

The Bob-Omb came in alone on Marty again, but Guy danced out of nowhere, slide tackling the ball away.

"Beautiful!" Shell gave his friend the thumbs-up.

But Team Supreme recovered the ball. The leader Toad got the ball, and left it for another Toad, who lob-passed it over to a wide open Bob-Omb. The little guy tapped the ball towards the net, and Marty watched it roll slowly over the goal line.

_2 – 0 Team Supreme_

"Marty, c'mon, try for those." Shell called out.

"Yeah, but I didn't feel like diving." Was his reply.

The ball was once again placed in the middle of the field, and Shell kicked the ball back to Goomchard. To the Koopa's, and the Goomba's, amazement, Goomchard tapped the ball over to Guy.

Guy started to run down field with the ball. A Toad came to challenge him, and Guy slipped, but kicked the ball through the legs of the confused Toad.

"I got it!" Shell called out as he ran over to the ball and spun around another Toad. He was running in against the third Toad, with Toaduel to his left.

Faking the shot, Shell lob-passed the ball over to Toaduel, who headed it into the net. The goalie for Team Supreme, a Bob-Omb, dove to the side and managed to get a piece of the ball. However, the ball managed to cross the line.

_2 – 1 Team Supreme_

The lead Toad from Team Supreme placed the ball back in the middle, and kicked the ball back to his teammate. However, Shell charged head on at the Toad, who got a little too fancy and ended up giving away the ball to the Koopa.

Shell charged down field, in all alone on the goalie. When he was close enough, he let a shot fly, and it hit the cross-bar, bouncing into the back of the net.

_2 - 2_

"Yeaaaah!" Shell pumped his first triumphantly as Toaduel and Guy congratulated him.

"Humph. C'mon guys. Play like the Team Supreme we are!" The lead Toad yelled at his gang. As he kicked the ball back to the Bob-Omb, Shell checked how much time was left.

Three minutes. And the score was all tied up.

Shell was snapped out of his thoughts as the Bob-Omb sent a long pass up field. The lead Toad picked up the pass, and spun around Guy, then easily deked around Goomchard.

"Please Marty…" Shell pleaded.

The burly Mole had been leaning against one of the goal posts, reading a comic book. At the sound of his teammates cheering, Marty looked up and tossed his comic book to the side.

"Not this time!" The Mole said through gritted teeth.

The Toad ran in, faked a shot to one side, and tapped the ball the opposite way. Marty, having been faked out, had to stop moving in one direction, and dive in the other. The Mole just reached out and grabbed the soccer ball, before it crossed the line.

"Here!" Marty called out as he tossed the ball downfield.

"No! No!" The Toad called out, as the ball flew over him and his two wingers.

"I've g-got it!" Goomchard ran for the ball, as it bounced off of his head, and straight to Guy. Guy looked about, and tapped the ball over to Shell.

"This is it!" Toaduel called out. Shell grinned, and spun around Team Supreme's lone defender. Shell could see the nervousness in the goalie's eyes as the Koopa roofed the ball, over the Bob-Omb, and into the back of the net.

"And that's game!" The ref called out, as the timer went.

"Yeaaaaaah!" Shell ran down to his team's end, as his four teammates jumped on him excitedly.

The perfect ending.

"Unbelievable. We're Team Supreme!" Shell heard the Toad say as the other group slowly walked off of the field.

Shell didn't care that they hadn't shook hands; he was too excited right now.

"You're the best, Shell!" Guy laughed.

"Maybe even better than me!" Toaduel smiled.

The Challengers had won their first match.

And they were in the Fire Cup.

--

_Whew, this chapter took me awhile to write. I wasn't exactly sure how I would describe the game, but I think it came out pretty cleanly. One thing I don't want to ever do again is have a Bob-Omb in a chapter – It's a pain to write that over and over again._

_I really like Marty; he's a lot of fun to have in the story. His personality is pretty funny too. He may actually have the deepest backstory out of any of the characters in the story…except for maybe one character not yet introduced, that is ;)_

_I know that I didn't use all of the right terms and everything for soccer, but this is based off of Strikers: Charged, and the game doesn't get into all that "defender, mid-field, etc." stuff like in real soccer. I'm just gonna keep it basic with defense, center, wingers, and goalie._

_Anyways, you might not see another chapter for a few days. By the time I get around to writing, I'll probably be doing a few chapters for Pokemon Topaz. But, we'll see._

_Until next time,_

_-Cranihunt_


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